Quick MAF Sensor Question

[belperandy]

Firstly if the MAF sensor is knackered is it well and trully gone?

Reason I ask is my car is driving like Sh1t sometimes, but better others(but even when it is at the better end of the scale it still doesn't feel great), so can a MAF sensor be on its way out and work some of the time or is it something that either works or doesn't work full stop.

Oh and Car has had 6463 Update. I really hope there is an issue with the car and it is not just the Standard performance of it that has slowly worn off on me after time.

For example today a Stilo Abarth or whatever they are called cam up by bumper, so I floored it and could not get away, he was at my munper the whole time. I excelarted from about 70 - 12* and he was still on my bumper, so in the end I gave up and pulled over. He went flying by.

Top Gear Review Quote for the Fiat Abarth "2.4 Selespeed sounds appealing but disappoints"

It is very doubtful this car was modified as it was failry new. They have a 2.4 something engine with 170bhp and a 0-60 of 8.5.

Very disappointed with the R.

Like I said above I really hope there is something wrong and this is not normal. I will get it booked in as soon as.

Can I just go in and ask them to check the MAF? (it's still got over 6 months warranty.

Thanks

[activa]

Well I guess any MAF on a VW works in exactly the same way regardless of whether it's an R32/GTI or a diesel for that matter.

So my answer to your question would be a definite yes,it can create the symptons described above.

I replaced the MAF on my PD just this morning and the difference in torque is quite amazing.Yet I never knew it was on its way out.

I tried cleaning it yesterday,just because I'd read that dirt builds up in them and affects performance.Well basically I killed it completely(still don't know how)and so bought a new one this morning and the car feels completely different.I can only conclude from this that the MAF had been failing over time but because I do so many miles in the car I hadn't really noticed it.

I also had times where the car wouldn't perform at all and I can also now assume that was down to the MAF.

I've done 150 miles this afternoon and every time I've asked it's delivered.

I reckon it'll be well worth the 75 quid(or even free under warranty,although I'm not sure they'd cover that)just to make sure that no Stilo stays with you again,Abarth or not!

[Dan32]

Of my basic understanding of it, then yes it could be your MAF on way out. IIRC it can be a gradual decline in performance. I've just got a new MAF to see if it helps clear up almost exactly the same symptoms you describe, although it wasn't a Fiat Stilo giving me cause for concern, more like Roy's bog standard R keeping me honest! Will report back once fitted new MAF. FYI, the VW part is £80 and its an exchange unit so might be worth getting hold of a part # and looking at some of the vendors on eBay as they often sell them for about £60.

[calumcousins]

If its running really badly, could it be a coil pack(s)? I've never had one go (touch wood), but from what others have said, the symptoms seem similar...

Re: the MAF, the quick and easy test you can do to see if your MAF is fooked is to unplug it and go for a quick drive - the way I understand it is that if it has seen better days, and is therefore sending false readings to the ECU, unplugging it will let the ECU revert back to the default fuelling settings, which are probably much better that what a faulty MAF will be saying.

It will throw a fault code after doing this, and IIRC the EPC light will come on while its unplugged, though, after you've finished your testing, turn the engine off, plug it back in, go for a bit of a drive, and the EPC light will go away.

Go give it a go...